Hell's Tournament
by Scatter0Shot
Summary: Meet Gon a combat slave who has to fight for his freedom or be bought by Nobles. in the death ring called the Hunter Exam can he survive the ring, his new master or truly be free.
1. Chapter 1

"Are you ready?" Gon blinked and looked at Kaito. The man responsible for training him for the Hunter exam, the blood sport the nobles put on. "Now remember when I come at you, I'll be aiming for your life." Gon nods his head and Kaito rushes him, sword in hand. He raised it above his head and Gon quickly side stepped and changed his direction aiming for Kaito's ribs. Kaito was prepared for this and let one of his hands fall from his sword and grab Gon's fishing rod. Gon dropped his fishing rod, leapt into the air and delivered a swift kick to Kaito's neck, pushing his body of balance. He stumbled forward and Gon swept his legs out from under him. Kaito was down but not out. His legs scissored and he trapped Gon's leg in between his. He reached down and grabbed Gon's arm and twisted it behind his back. He placed another hand and pushed it into the small of his back and forced him face first into the earth, "You're dead now. Do you know why?" Gon lay there in silence and he waited for Kaito to tell him. His plan had been decent enough get Kaito down then break his windpipe. But his legs had trapped his… was he too slow? Or had Kaito simply predicted his movements. He looked at Kaito and all he saw was a hardened glare staring back at him. "You died because you didn't add into your plan the possibility I would be able to counter it. Always have five different plans for a take down. Never just one Gon, that's how you die in there." He nodded his head and Kaito got off of his back. Gon stood up again and retrieved his fishing rod from the ground and smiled at the man before him, "But I was a lot closer this time wasn't I?"

Kaito nodded his and grabbed his weapon as well, "Yeah, now again." The continued to practice the art of killing, each time Gon getting a bit closer to winning each time. It was good he was making such progress, in a months' time he would have to participate in the blood sport known as the Hunter exam. With only two ways to get out alive the chances of a first time player winning are close to three percent. Either you died because the more experienced players killed you or you died at the hands of an abusive master that bought you out of the ring. It was slave trafficking along with murder, two businesses that pocketed a lot of cash. Whoever decided to make this tournament would be rolling in dough by now. A power showing contest, with no true winner, The Hunter Exam.

Lunch time rolled around and the Mistress of the estate decided to bring down lunch to her player and his trainer. Mito was a kind soul and thought of Gon as her own child. Unfortunately she was never able to have children of her own, thus causing the family great grief when they found out there would be no heir to their fortune. It caused even her own husband to resent her. The only person who ever truly stays by her side was Gon. "Lunch time boys, I brought you sandwiches and cold water!" Gon who was in mid swing stopped an inch from Kaito's nose, Kaito's sword that was pressed up against Gon's armpit stopped as well and they both dragged their battle weary bodies over to the little side table that was set off a little ways off from the training grounds that was once the estates garden.

"So how's the training going?" Mito stated casually but really she was quite worried about Gon. So little time was left and it felt as if she was killing the boy with her own hands. He was so sweet and innocent. It hurt to look at him sometimes knowing what might happen to him. No, this was no place for sweet naïve Gon. "He's doing great Mrs. Mito. He should be more than ready when the time rolls around" she looked away from Gon who was currently attempting to drink half the pitcher of water in one gulp, "That's great to hear." She smiled thinly. Kaito picked up a sandwich and bit into one of its corners and chewed slowly. He wouldn't say it out loud but he too was worried about Gon.

He couldn't deny the progress he made from snivelling baby to competent fighter. He was learning fast and it pleased Kaito. The only thing he was truly worried about was if someone bought him out of the ring. This family wasn't particularly rich among nobles and any offer made on Gon would be too much for them to afford to buy back. He would have to appear as helpless and ordinary as possible.

He ate his sandwich thoughtfully thinking of things to teach Gon in the short month he had left. He reached down for a sandwich and felt nothing but air. He looked down at the sandwich plate. It was cleaned off and not even the crumbs remained. He looked at Gon who was trying to look as innocent as possible but was failing greatly at it.

A sheathed sword whacked Gon painfully on top of the head "ouch! That hurt!" he whined and clutched his head and followed slowly behind Kaito as he led him pack to the training grounds, "Get used to it, in the ring pain will be your constant companion." Gon nodded his head and took up a fighting stance and he lunged at Kaito catching off guard. He grabbed Kaito's waist from behind and ran at full strength into the ground. They fell, Kaito barely having time to brace his fall. Gon clambered up Kaito's body and sat on his shoulder blades. Gon grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to reveal the fleshy underside of his neck and pressed a fishing hook that had been modified to inflict more damage on a person against his jugular vein.

Both of their breaths came out in heavy pants even if the take down didn't take much effort but the excitement that hummed around them forced to breathe harder. It was a flawless, breath taking defeat, he had done it. "I got you." Gon said quietly as if not quite sure he did it then turned to Mito who was sitting in one of the patio chairs drinking tea, "Mito, I did it! Did you see it?" she nodded her head and a short 'yes dear' followed soon after. Gon leapt off of Kaito and pumped his fists in the air. Kaito petted him and smiled at him, a thing he never did for Gon, it was a gesture of affection, to show he did a good job and he was proud. Gon's eyes got wider and his smile got wider, his body didn't seem to know what to do with all this energy it suddenly accumulated so the little boy started vibrating on the spot. "Let's see if you can do that again." Gon nodded happily, eager to please his teacher. They set up once again for more bouts against each other.

"Remember conceal your presence. The moment your quarry senses you, it not only lets them escape but it alerts others of your position as well." Gon was quite, he was hunting in the forest that Kaito had left him in the week before with those words of advice. He was doing pretty well for himself. It was getting easier to hunter harder more nervous prey. He was currently tracking a deer. He had set up trip wires late on in the forest and was seeing which way the deer would go.

If it went to the left, he would have deer if it went to the right… Gon's stomach let out a growl and he silently cursed himself. The creature had heard that and scampered to the right a bit before it dropped dead. That was strange; Gon didn't believe deer's just randomly died like that. He stayed in his hiding place and waited for however had killed that deer to step out of the shadows and claim his prize. A couple moments later a kid roughly his age stepped out from behind a boulder and headed to the carcass of the deer.

His blonde hair blended in perfectly with the dead saw grass that surrounded them; however his bright blue robes made him a bright and easy target to spot. Whatever camouflage his natural appearance gave him was lost. His eyes shifted from the deer to Gon who was still crouched nearby. "Your hair might stand up like grass but it sure isn't the right colour, reveal yourself." Gon blushed and stood up slowly. The boy looked him over; if he was surprised to see such a young boy in the wilds he gave no indication. "Just a kid, explains why you failed to catch such easy quarry."

"You must also be having a hard time since they spot you so easily as well. I guess this kill was just pure luck." The blonde smiled at that and put his hand out. It was adorned with silver chains and rings that all connected up at the wrist to form a bracelet, "Kurapika" Gon took Kurapika's hand and shook it introducing himself as well. "I'm Gon." The both looked down at the deer carcass and both of their stomachs rumbled. "Want to help me gut it? I'll let you eat some of it of course." Gon nodded, not trusting himself not to drool. It had been days since he had anything bigger than a pheasant for a meal. Kurapika quickly took out two daggers, tossing one to Gon. He worked on the under belly and Gon worked on getting rid of its head. The skin could be taken off later but the less it weighed the easier it would be to take it to a safer area. He looked at Kurapika and he seemed to be taking out the last of it.

He retracted his hands from the now empty cavity of the deer and nodded at Gon he hoisted half of it onto his shoulders while Kurapika picked it up in a more elegant fashion. He went back to his previous hiding place and returned with twine and a stick. He grabbed the back legs, tied them together then pushed the stick in between the legs. He grabbed both ends and they both started walking towards Kurapika's encampment. "This is neat! It's almost like a secret village or something!" and indeed it was. There were huts everywhere along with fire pits. Everything seemed to buzz with activity. "It was at one point."

"Huh?"

"Slave traders came here four years ago and rounded ever body up from my clan. I went out with a friend; we weren't supposed to go out but we did and they saw and followed us back. We didn't know what would happen but I left the village again and when I returned I only saw the fleeting shape of their chart." Suddenly the village felt very dead. It didn't seem like the mystical place it looked like. Now all it looked like a giant memorial. "You must have been lonely…" Gon said and Kurapika nodded his head in agreement, "Terribly so."

"Then it's a good thing I'm your friend then." A hand was placed on top of his head. After that they started making a fire to cook the deer. It was hard at first as it had rained the previous night before and the wood was damp they managed to find some inside of the huts and they got to work making a fire. While Kurapika was starting the fire Gon got to work sheering the deer of its meat into more manageable pieces. He wiped his forehead as the heat of the fire worked its way over to him.

He looked at Kurapika who was waiting expectantly for meat to put onto the rotisserie that had been placed over the fire a long time ago. When the meat finished cooking they ate in silence.

The sun was setting and it was becoming dusk, the bugs were coming out and the nocturnal hunters were just starting to wake up. "Do you have any idea… who took your clan?" Gon asked he was starting to get sleepy; he rested his head gently on Kurapika's lap. Kurapika nodded as he continued to stroke Gon soothingly, "they left a flag, to mark to other traders that this village was cleared. It was the Phantom troupe. They took all of them away, even the elderly."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll avenge them, avenge all. Those sick bastards won't know what hit them when I'm through with them. I swore on my mother's grave I would kill the bastards and save whoever was still alive." Gon nodded his head weakly and closed his eyes. He pitied Kurapika; he didn't have anyone to truly love anymore.

Kaito stocked through the thigh high grass, not caring if he was seen. He was looking for his ward and it was taking a stupid amount of time to find him. The kid was good at hiding his tracks and also made use of the weather conditions. He finally made it to a rather thick grouping of trees and saw the faint glow of a fire he approached it and had a knife thrown at him. "Calm yourself, scarlet eye barrier I mean you know harm, I just wish for the boy."

"So you can sell him? He's still a pure innocent, I won't hand him over!" The child got up and barred his teeth while the chains on his wrists dropped down to show rather large daggers on the ends of them. Kaito did not wish to get into a fight now, "You seem to miss understand, the boy is already owned. He has been branded. Go check if you don't believe me." The Kurta stepped back hesitantly and pulled up Gon's shirt and paled, "He is…" he swallowed harshly before picking up the boy and giving him to Kaito. "Train him well, let this boy live." The Kurta the disappeared in a flurry of movement and Kaito now took the long walk back to his jeep that was waiting for him, "You have an interesting power over people Gon…" he said as he laid him down in the back seat and drove back to the manner. That night it was unusually quiet and Kaito found himself unconsciously holding his breath. He knew why too, as soon as they got back to the estate all his training would be put to the test. The Hunter exam would be tomorrow.

"Why must I use a fishing rod to fight? I want a sword like you!" Gon whined as he was put in front of his starting gate for the hunter exam. He would have to survive as long as possible and kill off as many people as he could to make it to the end of the game. "Can you get food with a sword?" Gon thought about this for a second then answered swiftly, "Yeah, it would be tougher but you could." Kaito nodded his head sagely, "exactly, why waste valuable energy chasing after something with a heavy sword when you could sit down be observant and catch fish. You not only have to be careful of the people but nature too. Many contestants will die of starvation so it is your job to keep a constant food supple, you can't do that with a sword." Gon's eyes got wide in realisation. He never even accounted in for the fact that he would have to stay in there for who knows how long.

"Now Gon" Kaito said after a short pause, "We are only allowed to give you two things, a weapon and a memento. Mito made this for you. She's really upset that you have to do this but… she wishes you luck." Kaito presented Gon with a green coat. He took it gingerly into his hands, afraid that it might break in some way. "It should keep you warm. Just be careful okay?" Gon looked at Kaito. He could sense the anxiety roll off of him. "I will, and can you tell Mito that she was like an aunt to me?" a hand patted his head once before Kaito turned and left, "She already knows Gon" and with that Gon was left alone.

He turned towards his gate and waited impatiently for the gong to sound and the screen to disappear. It felt like years before it sounded. It was sharp thrill and shots of adrenalin fueled his sprint into the thickest part of the brush. All of Kaito's advice playing in his head, he scrambled up hills and through rivers. Right now he had to think. Think about where he was, the wind direction and how close another player may be.

He would be the hunted for the first part of the game wary until it becomes clear but even then, there were people who were a lot bigger and stronger than him. He needed to get to a place that would give him the best advantage. He settled on a place relatively close to water but deep enough in that anybody else who camped nearby wouldn't find in. now all he had to do was find a place like that.

He stopped running blindly threw the underbrush, he stopped and took in his surroundings, there was no noise, that was worrisome. He should be able to hear at least birds at all times in the forest. That means another player was nearby. He climbed the nearest tree. He climbed a good twenty feet and stopped when he noticed another branch from the tree beside him that he could easily cross. Perfect, he could get out if he was cornered.

He smiled and waited silently in the tree; he didn't know how far the player was or if he was even heading in Gon's direction but it was always better to be cautious in these kinds of situations. He waited, and waited until the birds started singing again. He cracked his joints and sat up in the tree again and shivered. He spent at least thirty minutes in there and the warmth from his adrenal burst was only just now fading. He grabbed Mito's jacket and put it on.

Then, he almost smacked himself on the head for not putting it on earlier. He scaled half way down the tree before stopping. His instincts told him to wait a bit more, but he was starting to get worried about not moving, you were easier to find if you didn't move from place to place. He trusted his instincts and went back up the tree; it wouldn't hurt to stay here a couple more minutes just to make sure. He was right, a few minutes later rather loud crashing could be heard and a heavy man stumbled through.

He silently watched as the man took his last haggard breaths before collapsing into the earth. Gon leapt down the tree and examined the marks on the man's body. There were no physical marks besides massive swelling at the base of the neck. Gon frowned. He was hoping for something a bit more accurate to tell what his enemies were carrying. It could be a bee sting or a mark from a dart. He had no way of knowing.

He got up and started walking again, careful not to leave any tracks. He wasted time in that tree and now he had to find a place to bed down. He wouldn't sleep but it was still nice to have something comforting to lay in. he didn't like being near to the kill so he headed in the opposite direction of where the man stumbled into his view. He hoped he could find a source of drinking water soon otherwise hunger would be the least of his worries.

His throat was starting to feel like sand paper was being rubbed on the inner walls then saw dust was poured down in an attempt to close the wounds. _I should have checked the guy earlier for water_ Gon thought weakly. The chances of that man even carrying water so early on would be a miraculous find. Another question would be where he got the water. He stopped thinking of hypotheticals and focused at the task at hand. Get water and don't be killed. He kept his pace, stopping occasionally to listen, even hiding a couple of times from large predators. This just cemented the fact that everything out here was trying to kill you.

He travelled for a long time not running into any players or water unfortunately and he had to stop and bed down. It was getting too dark to move forward. He climbed up a tree as it kept him safe from both wild life and contestants. He knew he wasn't safe still. It wasn't like he was the only one who could climb a tree but it did help he could stay up in the thinner branches without fear of them breaking. Gon set up a series of trip lines around the perimeter of the tree he was in with some of his fishing line.

He didn't like the set up very much or the fact he had no water but it would have to do. He lay in the tree and slept lightly, every little sound awoke him. Eventually exhaustion over took him and he fell into a deep sleep.

"Welcome ladies and Gentlemen to the annual Hunters Exam!" The announcer boomed over the intercom over the rows of expensive theater seats. The crowd clapped while a couple were twisting handkerchiefs in their hands, worried there investment might die early. "We have a special line up selected by your own hands! Top quality fighters everyone, but what's this?" the announcer said with a slight bit of whimsy in his voice, "Why! It's a child! Ladies and Gentlemen allow me to show you the cutest contest I think so far, Gon Freaks. Isn't he just the cutest with that fishing rod of his." The crowd let out a collective awe and a couple of the men shifted in their seats, eager to get a nice view from behind.

"Is he your type?" Illumi whispered to his partner. Hisoka was his name; he often had a bad habit of finding the toughing looking competitors in the Hunter Exam, buying them and then killing them. Illumi never understood it but he did understand his attraction to the small male fighters. His love for his brother is the same way. "I'm afraid he is, I'm also sad to say, he's quite far from ripe" Also another one of his bad habits, referring to people with potential as fruit.

"Would you like to buy him?"

"Yes, but wait until he makes a kill, I want to be sure." Illumi nodded and took a sip of his wine and turned back to the screen. It switched from Gon to the first Kill of the game; it was rather lack luster if you asked Illumi. The man was rather sloppy, there was no elegance at all. "If the rest of the show is like this I think I'm going to fall asleep." Hisoka snorted lightly through his nose, "We all can't be like you, Illumi."

"Quite true, they could at least have a bit of class though."

Mito was worried sick, she kept grabbing at Kaito every once and a while when they showed Gon on the screen alive and well. Every once and a while Kaito would give a squeeze back when Mito grabbed him in reassurance but the woman was obviously distressed greatly, not a lot beside medication could truly calm her. It wasn't rare to see the mistresses of the families get attached. He never seen anyone in his career of training fighters be this worried. It gave him a bit of hope for the world. "He's going to be fine Mito." Kaito said hoping it would calm her down a bit.

"You're only saying that! I can't watch this! Get him out now!" she was becoming hysterical. She gripped Kaito's suit in a white knuckled grip, tears threatened to spill over, ruining her eyeliner.

"You know we don't have enough money for that… now come I'll take you to your room." She nodded weakly and he started lift her gently off her seat when the announcer was yelling something again, "Uh oh! Looks like little Gon is in trouble!" they both turned their heads to the screen to show a sleeping Gon in a tree while another contestant stalked silently towards the tree he was in.

Mito froze and gripped harder onto Kaito as horror flowed through them. He stepped over Gon's flimsy at best defence. Gon was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the danger. _Wake up Gon_ Kaito thought as he too gripped Mito. He gritted his teeth and hoped for some miracle that Gon would get through this. Mito was starting to make low whining noises; he was two feet away when he suddenly tripped. Kaito almost cheered, Mito looked at him with starry eyes and they sat down again. Hope was renewed.

Gon's eye flew open and looked down. Looks like his third set of trip wires caught something. He peered down in the inky blackness of the night. He heard a low curse and it confirmed it was human. He took out his fishing rod and prepared to attack. It would be simple. He would figure out a way to decapitate him with the line or at the least slash open a couple of arteries, if that didn't work, slow suffocation by his own hands while the man was restrained.

Gon jumped down from the tree and landed on the guys back, taking him by surprise. He tightens a left over piece of fishing line from when he made the trip lines and holds it tight against the man's throat. He reaches behind him, trying to get Gon off his back. He loosens some of the line and drops down his back, pulling the wire even tighter. The man went through with the move, bending his back and preparing to fall on top of Gon. Gon couldn't let go of the wire, it was too tightly wrapped around his hands for that.

Instead, he kicked off of the tree behind him and flipped over the man the face him. "Nice moves kid. I'm going to enjoy killing you. First, I'm going to strangle you like you did to me. Then I'm going to cut you open like a fish" he pulled a knife out of his pocket and Gon nearly smiled. "After that, I'm going to fuck your body." Gon did his best to look terrified, which in the normal light would look absolutely like acting. The man approached closer knife out. Gon let him get two feet away from him before he promptly disarms him. The knife fell to the ground and both scrambled to pick it up.

Gon wrapped his hands around the handle, and then darted back to a comfortable distance. The man followed and came face to face with him. Gon gasped as a hand shot out. Gon nicked the man's wrist drawing a bit of blood, the hand kept on its path and grabbed Gon's throat. He was hefted into the air. His feet scrambled to purchase on anything, his fingers dug into the man's hand as it tightened around his small neck.

"STOP! It appears a challenge has been issued! Drop what you're doing and listen up!" a voice boomed overhead making the older contestant groan. The man resentfully did as he was told and dropped Gon to the ground. "You sure got lucky kid." Gon coughed and rubbed his throat. It would be tender for a while afterwards. "The Challenge this time is… Make it to the top of the tower!" another voice followed his, it was female and high pitched and rub Gon all sort of ways, "But I don't see a tower." The voice laughed heartily at the female voice, "Oh Jessica you silly girl, why, it's right here!" then a pillar arose from the ground literally feet away from them. "You're really lucky kid." Gon agreed he was practically shitting out horse shoes at this point. "The prize when you get to the top is water, nice clean drinkable water. You'll always have a steady supply with you and never run out because once you drain the tank, we'll refill it."

"Boy that sure is generous!" the female voice now known as Jessica said. The pain in his throat flared at the mention of water, Better yet unlimited water. Gon got up and started making his way to the tower but the man who was trying to kill him pushed in front and into the doorway. "But be careful" The voice said again, "There are traps in every corner." At that the walls crushed in and killed the man. Guts splattered to the ground and Gon looked at it in a strange sense of awe. Of course they would find a way to kill people. This was hell's arena.

**Author's notes **

This is a request fic for kanakoyuki. She requested a multichapter fic different from my current series and this took too long to put out because of a bunch of different reasons. Also, I am getting a new laptop. This will probably be the last fiction wrote on Izaya. Instead Joey, will be filling his place. Please mourn Izaya and welcome Joey with open arms. also unedited.


	2. Chapter 2

The crowd cheered at the first deaths caused by the trapped doors. They were drinking up the violence like a fine brandy. Full of flavor that held a slow burn, keeping your mind in love with it for a long time. It was delightfully sinful.

"Such a huge prize right at the start; what are they trying to do?" Illumi wondered out loud. Hisoka glanced at his business partner and smiled.

"They plan to give it to the crowd favorite, and then sell the favorite so they don't actually give the player an advantage."

Illumi nodded in understanding, then sat and thought for a moment before rebutting his companion's idea. "But wouldn't they want to keep the favorite to keep the people watching?"

"That is a good point. They wouldn't want to lose viewers."

"Which brings us back to the start."

"Indeed it does." They sat in contemplative silence, watching human bodies hit various surfaces.

Gon breathed heavily as he fought against his fatigue. His lungs ached, his legs shook as his body craved for rest, food and water. He coughed dryly, trying to suck in more air but never getting enough. It felt thin, like he was on a mountain.

He barely heard the whistling of metal flying through the air before he fell to the ground. He looked up and saw an arrow lodged in the cinder workings of the wall.

_Yes! I have the advantage!_ Gon whipped around and killed the man with a sharp blow to his temple, smashing his head in. He breathed out heavily and wiped his brow of perspiration then searched the body for water. He came up with a half empty canteen, he could have cried. He drank it all in one swift gulp and kept going.

The pain lessened, but he still craved more, to get rid of the sticky feeling in his mouth. It was like he had swallowed envelope glue. He permitted himself a light cough before heaving his tired body upwards and continuing on his climb.

"That was fast," Hisoka said, and flicked his eyes up from his game of poker. "I thought he would drag it out." He kept his eyes on the screen a little longer, watching the boy's ass move in slow motion, before returning to dealing the cards.

"I think I have a new theory." Illumi said. Hisoka raised a brow. "They could think he's going to die so they are going to try and sell him as a future investment. With the right training, he could be stronger than you. Besides, the women hate to see children get hurt. They will be fighting to see who gets to save him."

"When I enter the bidding war, the price will sky rocket." Hisoka chuckled deeply. "This sounds interesting enough. I think I will get him." He snapped his fingers, and an older gentlemen in the traditional black suit of a butler appeared by his side. "Check when the next bid is going to start, and stand prepared to use as much as you want for number four hundred and five."

The servant bowed and exited to a room in the back of the salon. 

"He could cost you a fortune.

"Don't worry; I'll get a lot of use out of him before that."

"You really are a cruel man."

"Oh, please, Mr. Zoldyck, you flatter me so." They laughed merrily and drank their expensive wine. Mito looked at them with horror.

"It appears our worst fears have been realized. That man," Kaito said as he gestured with his hand that clutched a glass of scotch tightly, "is Hisoka. We would be lucky indeed to see Gon again after a year with him."

"What does he do to them?"

"If they're young like Gon, he'll usually rape them, train them, and then kill them. Sometimes he randomly kills them when he feels they have become a bore. He's a very dangerous and influential man, Mito."

Mito's face had turned white and she could feel more tears coming on. This man was sick. Her eyes flashed with anger, but she stayed on her barstool at her spot beside Kaito.

"Is there anyone here that could outbid him?" Kaito shook his head. Mito took a large swig of her wine, finishing it in one gulp.

She turned to the proprietor. "I need something stronger; give me vodka."

He nodded and went to the back as she stared stiffly at empty air. There was no way she was getting through this nightmare without massive amounts of alcohol.

The master returned with a bottle of vodka and a glass, and went back to shining glasses, glancing over every so often to see Mito down a shot.

"Slow down. I'm going to have to take you back early if you keep doing that," Kaito said and reach for her full shot glass.

"Good! That's what I planned!" She pulled the glass away from him, and tipped it back, swaying in her seat. Kaito sighed and put his hand to his forehead. "Very well, missus Mito, we will return to the manor."

She gripped Kaito's suit tightly as they walked over to the valet. He offered the keys to her, but Kaito took them,

He slid Mito into the car and drove to the manor. There, he placed her in her bed—still fully clothed—and drove back to the place that hosted the nobles' seats to the carnage, and sat down at a table.

He idly lit a cigar to keep this hands busy.

"You shouldn't be smoking those cheap things in here," a voice said. Kaito looked up as the owner of the voice sat down next to him, and smiled. "You would know about cheap things, wouldn't you, Ging?" The smile turned sad. "You're a horrible father, you know."

A large hand thumped against Kaito's back and a harsh, barking laugh rang out. "My wife said the same thing when I pushed him out onto the streets at three years old."

"You had your reasons then, but what I don't understand is why you aren't changing it now."

"He hasn't asked me to."

"He doesn't even know you exist."

"Then I guess he'll just have to find out."

Kaito took a long drag from his cigar and blew out smoke rings. They sat together, enjoying the comfortable silence, watching the violence with sober expressions as each recalled the horrors that he had been forced to face.

"I heard that Hisoka is interested in my son," Ging said after a particularly brutal killing. Kaito nodded.

"May the gods be on his side," Ging said. He flagged down a waiter, ordered a gin and tonic, and went back to grimly viewing the Hunter Exam.

* * *

Gon was looking into the eyes of a girl a couple of years older than him. She had him pinned against the wall. His hands gripped her wrists, trying to force her hand to go to the side so the knife wouldn't plunge into his eye.

_She was weeping, the salty tears falling onto his face. She didn't want to do this. If she was born into a better family she could have got married, had kids and lived a happy life. But fate had crushed her, pushing her to the bottom and force-feeding her the life of the wretched._

His strength prevailed, and he pushed the knife deep into the wall and punched her in the throat. She dropped to her knees, and he grabbed the knife from the wall to give her the quickest death he could. He slit her throat and watched as she took wet, ragged breaths. The light drained from her eyes, and a crimson flower sprouted on the floor as Gon walked on.

He felt horrible. He knew that person had dreams, too. He cried silently for the people killed, for the ones who had killed, the heavy cross that they all had to bear.

To survive and triumph, he would have to take a filthy road, paved in blood.

He went up the last flight of stairs and was instantly blinded by light. It appeared he had reached the top. He was also the last. Everyone was sitting down, sucking water out of pouches and eating dried meat. He licked his lips and he was handed his own water pouch and jerky.

He ate the meat hungrily but drank the water sparingly. He didn't want to end up with a situation where he had no water again. It was already proven tough to find a reliable source.

He stretched his sore limbs and walked over to the corner farthest away from everyone else. The contestants were spread out fairly evenly, none of them staying in groups. They were afraid that when the temporary peace was over, they would have to fight again with little or no warning. The announcer came on again with the false joy that all of them seemed to share.

"Congratulations!" she said. "You've made it to the top! One of you is going to be very graciously taken out of the tournament and given a new chance! That's right, the bidding is starting! And now, let's take a look at the roulette wheel."

A holographic projection flickered to life, and the image of a roulette wheel with the remaining contestant numbers appeared. People started to cross their fingers and pray. For what, Gon wasn't sure. Eventually the ball stopped.

"Looks like we got _lucky number 60_!" A picture of a girl, around eighteen, replaced the roulette wheel. She had brown hair and dead silver eyes, with the kind of stare that drilled right through you but concentrated on nothing. "Yoi Ming!"

Gon looked around and spotted her secluded in the farthest corner.

She barely even looked up when her name was called. With a large gash weeping blood down her side, it was a wonder she was still alive. She breathed in deep gasps and kept her hands plastered to her side. Her shirt was ripped and hanging off of one of her shoulders, and her pants were stained with blood, both her own and others'.

"Now, let's start the bets on this fierce beauty! Fun fact: she's the last female in the game, and her first kill was the third last player in the game before the auction. Isn't that amazing?"

The other contestants let out a sigh of relief, and Yoi gritted her teeth. She waited in tensed silence to see who had won her life.

The timer beeped, and the announcer came back on. "All right, folks, here are the results. Yoi Ming..." She paused dramatically, and a drumroll played in the background.

"Dies! It appears no bids were offered up. She gets the wheel of death! How will she die, chief?"

A male announcer's voice rings out with a hearty laugh. "Well, let's spin it and see!"

Yoi Ming's picture was replaced by a giant cartoonish wheel, covered with pictures of different ways to die. It spun around three times before it stopped on a picture of what looked like a skeleton suspended in steaming green water.

"Lucky us! She got the chemical bath! Let's get this party started, ladies and gentlemen, and I hope you enjoy the show!"

With that, the hologram cut off entirely. Gon jumped as he heard mechanical doors open and men clad in white suits filed out. The contestants watch them warily as they made their way to Yoi. She looked up and them briefly, her face, quickly turning the color of ash as they grew closer. Yoi was pulled to her feet and carted to a hole that had appeared in the ground. They waited before a large clear tube emerged from the hole and they tied straps made of iron to her hands and feet. They went up a short ladder and pushed her in, face first.

* * *

Yoi's screams filled the spectators' room, and many were commenting on the quality. The pain etched on her melting face, the pure terror that laced her body right before she was pushed in, and the flailing she was trying to do to get away from the acid... all of it was being both praised and criticized.

The people loved it. Every moment of this girl's pain was like a high to them. The screams eventually quieted and all that was left of Yoi was a black sludge in the acid that had dissolved her.

Illumi blinked, bored at the action presented with little interest. Illumi turned his attention from the screen to his phone for a moment, and stood abruptly with a small smile on his lips.

"You'll have to excuse me, Hisoka. I seem to have business to attend to."

Hisoka waved goodbye and turned his attention back to the show. He had to admit, it was starting to get boring to him, too, as nightfall approached. They would all be too busy sleeping to be interesting, and any deaths would be quiet, anyway, a game of stealth instead of power. With this depressing thought in mind, Hisoka retired from viewing and returned to his manor.

Gon averted his eyes from the acid tank when the first scream reached his ears. It was horribly frightening to think that it could have been him in there, and that it still might be before too long. He gripped his fishing rod as he tried to block out the screams that were slowly growing less frequent. Eventually, they stopped, and he looked at the tank. He didn't know what to expect.

Something awful had certainly been done to her, but by now, it was almost like it never happened. The only evidence was the sullen looks on the other contestants, and the thick film of black sludge that floated to the top of the tank.

The dreaded voice of the male announcer came on, and Gon shook with fear. "With that business over with, it's time to change things up. Let's go from forest to... tundra!"

Snow machines turned on, covering everything in snow. The temperature lowered significantly. Others were starting to shake, but Gon stood cozily in his warm green coat.

Many of the trees sank into the ground, leaving only a few here and there in small clumps. Gon sighed in relief. He could still make a fire if it got too cold.

"Let's also give our champions of the first challenge a little rest." Steel walls rose up around each individual. From the walls, roofs sprang across, shielding them from attack.

"Sleep well, tomorrow you have to face the cold." With that the announcer was cut off. A

Gon sat in the dark steel box, waiting for morning. Eventually he fell asleep, too tired to stay vigilant the entire night. When he woke the box around him was gone, and he noticed a couple others up as well. He tensed and prepared to bolt.

They, however, made no move, and the stench of blood hit him. Gon got up and slowly made his way over to the possibly dead contestant. He didn't drop his guard for a second as he slowly made his way over, bit by bit. Gon took another whiff, and caught the scent of gunpowder. He quickly turned tail and ran from the corpse, moving swiftly across the white plain to the possible safety that of the trees.

He reached a copse of trees fifty meters away just as he heard an explosion. Someone else must have gotten close enough that the bomber deemed it the optimal time to set it off. He pitied the guy who couldn't see the trap because he was too blinded by his morbid curiosity.

It was a risky weapon to have, anyway. The bomber was probably already dying, and had used the last of his explosives in an effort to take someone down with him.

Gon quickly steeled himself and looked around for any signs of activity. He spotted footprints, a couple hours old by the look of them. He kept searching, and found rabbit tracks. His stomach growled at the thought of actual meat. He followed the trail till he found a spot on the track to set up a snare.

He took the wire he had cut earlier out of his pocket, tied a slipknot in it, and fastened it to a handy tree.

It would be a while till he caught something, so he might as well be productive and make a fire. Moving to the other edge of the copse, he gathered twigs off of the trees. It was amazing how fast the foliage had been stripped away since the snow came. He set the tinder down on a stone he cleared of snow and slowly began to coax the fire to life.

The fire-starting was a long, slow process that took most of his attention, but his efforts paid off—eventually, he was graced with a small crackling fire. He put some rocks in it, for use that night. He doubted he could keep the fire going if the wind picked up.

He huddled around his fire, keeping his ears open for any noise. The snow had dampened some of the sounds, but he could tell that more and more people were passing through. It was making him nervous and Gon kept his breathing calm with an effort when someone walked not ten meters away from him.

It was his jacket that worried him the most. It was bright green, just like his shorts. Being conspicuous was a great disadvantage, but he couldn't do anything about it. He would just have to stay alert, that was all.

But vigilance took energy that could be spent on gathering food. If he took on the task of watching everything around him, he would worry too much, which would cause him to get sloppy.

Gon thought about what the best course of action would be, and finally decided that he would simply act as if he is on a hunt. He would erase his presence and watch for signs of his prey. It was time to stop acting like he was the hunted.

His counter attack would have to wait, however: the sun was setting, and he would need shelter. He looked around. He could always break branches to make something...

Then he spotted a broken tree. The weight of the snow had snapped its trunk, and now it created the perfect shelter.

Gon quickly traveled the short distance to his new hiding spot. He checked inside, and came face to face with the edge of a sword. He stared at it for a bit before looking at the wielder. He was a man, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing that did nothing to keep out the cold. He was shivering huddled beside a small fire.

Gon looked past the man when he caught the smell of food. He could see a small pouch of berries tied to the end of the samurai's sheath. He liked his lips at the thought of eating.

Gon grabbed the bag, and ran before the swordsman knew what happened. He realized he couldn't take him on in a fight, so he quickly scampered up a tree and stayed in the thinner parts of the branches. He knew they would break if the other tried to reach him.

Gon opened the bag and checked the contents inside. All the berries were edible for what he could tell so he quickly shoved them all in his mouth. He chewed and looked down at the angry Japanese man that was yelling and shaking his fist at Gon.

"You damn brat, I'll kill you!" The words were highlighted by a fierce shiver that racked through his body.

"You should go inside your shelter!" Gon yelled down from the tree and he was answered with a crude gesture. Gon wrinkled his nose and settled on the branch. The man settled on the ground as well, as if to prove a point about him not being cold. The foolish move made Gon smile. He threw his coat down onto the ground.

The man looked up at him with a quizzical expression. "Hey, kid, aren't you going to be cold?"

"You're not, why should I be?" 

The man smiled and chuckled quietly. This kid was quite the charmer. "I'm Nobunaga."

"I'm Gon."

"Want to come down, and we'll stay in the shelter together?"

Nobunaga looked up at the branches, but couldn't spot the kid. A moment later he felt the impact of an object beside him. He was surprised to find Gon standing there, shivering slightly obviously eager to get to a fire. _Too trusting, _he thought. Nevertheless, they traveled back to the shelter peacefully and warmed up together by the fire.

They stay close to each other, sharing as much heat as they could. Only one of them fell asleep at a time, keeping a constant eye out for danger. It was a strange sort of alliance that they both knew could only last to morning, at best.

Shortly before dawn, another challenge was issued. This time, the prize was coats. The challenge, kill three people within three days. Gon wasn't interested, but he knew Nobunaga would be. As soon as that announcement was made, he fled far away from the other, knowing their pseudo-friendship wouldn't last.

He went back to his snare and found a rabbit strangled on the ground. He cheerfully grabbed it and set to work, making a fire to cook it with the driest wood he could find. The fire took a bit of time, and there was plenty of other things that had to be done first, but eventually the rabbit was skinned, gutted and ready to begin cooking. He took the delicate meat and cooked it on a stick over the fire he had made.

He felt his thirst creep up on him again, and reached for the water pouch. Gon drank some of his water before taking a bite of the rabbit meat. The snow could be melted and drunk, but he had no idea how long the snow would last.

Still, Gon finished the water and readjusted his position, never setting any part of his body in the dangerously wet snow. He ate quickly, saving a couple of legs for later, and moved on.

It was quiet, but Gon could feel eyes on him. He took a sniff of the cold air, and could smell one male human heading towards him from the east. Gon gripped his fishing rod a little tighter. He continued to act as naturally as he could, hoping that he would come closer.

Eventually, the man did get into striking distance, and Gon whipped around and attacked. A shriek left the man's mouth as the rod connected with his head, the hook digging into the skin of the neck. He held the tension in the line and pulled the hook out, tearing a hunk of flesh off of the neck. The man fell to his knees, his blood staining the pure white snow red.

Slightly scared at how easy it was for him to kill now, Gon got down close to the body and searched it. He came up with two knives, a few more pieces of dried meat, and a large sack of water. Gon smiled as he felt the hefty weight of the water skin. It would almost certainly be invaluable in the coming challenges. He secured it to his person and kept going.

He shivered and held his arms close to his body. The winds were higher in the open plains. He wanted to get back to a stand of trees, but a lot of other players would be there too. He stopped for a moment. Didn't he say he was going to go on the offense? But he didn't want to go looking for trouble...

Gon bucked up and moved towards a stand of trees. He wasn't just going to survive, he was going to win. He wouldn't wait to become like Yoi. He was going to be a free man. With that in mind, he quickened his pace and kept down wind, his hunting instincts kicking in. he kept low to the ground, becoming a smaller target to see. He reached the copse and sniffed the air. The smell of blood was heavy and he had to bite down the urge to puke at the copious amounts he was smelling. He looked around and quickly located the source of the smell. A mound of bodies. Piled on top of one another. Each looking as if they went through a meat grinder. Gon wandered around the tree stand and found no one, just the sites of each of the attacks. The entire copse had been cleared of its players.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I had a goal and I am a thousand words short but I don't think I could add anymore. This is the shortest time it took to write a chapter because people were actually pestering me to do it. Imagine that, I have fans.

Beta'd by Bushwah


	3. Chapter 3

The forest was silent. Not a bird was chirping as Gon looked closer at the bodies. The killer had obviously taken a great deal of care with the dismemberment. All the lines were clean and professional. Whoever had done this, had done it many times before.

Gon shivered as a stiff wind hit him. He checked a couple of pockets of what Gon assumed to be garments but found nothing. Of course he would find nothing, he reminded himself, this guy was skilled. He wouldn't make careless mistakes.

So where would he be now? Gon looked around at the ground checking for footprints but found nothing, not even the signs of someone trying to deliberately get rid of their trail. Gon then took to the trees. It would be harder to hide tracks on the ice covered branches. Gon looked over the lower branches carefully, not a single snow flake was disturbed. It was like no one was even here. "But how?" he said to himself quietly.

He checked once more around the entire copse but still found nothing. Gon had no way of tracking the killer, which might be a good thing. A noise distracted him of his futile search for evidence of even a struggle from the victims. He turned, surprised to see a boy his own age standing, bundled up in three different coats. Apparently the boy was too. They both took defensive stances, each pulling out their weapon of choice, Gon his fishing rod and the boy, his hand.

The child's hair was as white as the snow itself and his skin was like porcelain. His eyes were the most shocking colour of violet though. Gon held onto his grip of the fishing rod, Kaito echoing in his head, _there is always more._ This boy could very well be the end of him. The urge to reach and grab the boy, to bridge the gap was strong but he overcame it. He overcame it through a bitter look at his situation and the smell of death that clung to his skin. He was in no place to make friends. He had been lucky with Nobunaga but he would stretch it any further. "Who are you?" Gon called out but the boy had already leapt at him. Tearing across the snow at a frightening speed. Gon Lifted his fishing rod up and blocked the first strike, shattering his rod. Surprised he held the broken pieces limply in his hands. Another blow came towards him from the left. It connected, hitting the side of his face sending him careening into the snow. He only had a moment before the boy was on him again and they were tussling in the snow.

The bloodshed began a new as it did every day for the nobles that viewed the spectacle. With a brief recap of what had happened the night before they settled down and watched the new footage. Hisoka eyed the new footage with delight. He smiled as he picked up his phone, "So this was the business you were talking about Illumi?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't see that. I was just informed yesterday."

"Come now, you think they wouldn't show the shocking truth that the second in line of your line was in the tournament?"

"Not at all. I was just hoping to collect him before that happened."

"Mind if I help?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine on my own, goodbye Hisoka." Illumi closed his phone and regarded the current mess in front of him. "Perhaps I should have accepted Hisoka's help."

They both laid in the snow, bloody pulsating messes of where there faces should have been. They had thoroughly beat the shit out of each other. "You're good." The boy said after finally catching his breath. His mouth was cut up on the inside and his right eye had swelled up, rendering it useless.

"You too." Gon replied. His torso no more than a mass of black and blue. He giggled and wiggled his arms in the snow he had been laying in. The boy looked over exasperated. "You're making snow angels? Now!"

"Why not? There's a lot of snow." The boy blinked and laughed a bit and joined in, moving his arms and legs in unison.

"My Name's Gon want to be friends?"

He hesitated for a moment but quickly smiled back at Gon and replied "Sure! I'm Killua." They quickly got out of the cold snow and brushed their backs of the fine white powder that had condensed on their respective coats. They decided to get to work making a shelter and lighting a fire. Each boy assigned a different duty. Gon would make the shelter, and Killua the fire. He set off not far from Gon to gather the fire wood and Gon set to work clearing the ground and making a frame for the shelter. Gon looked up at the sky and smiled. "I wonder if Kurapika is seeing the same sky tonight." Gon mumbled as he cleared snow off of the ground.

"Did you say something?" Killua asked his arms full of tree branches.

"No, nothing at all. Come on, let's keep going, I'm hungry." The night progressed slowly afterwards, the boys not willing to share food with each other but instead eating from their own stashes. Gon had the last of his rabbit while Killua pulled out chocolates. "That's not going to keep you going for long Killua."

"Shut it. It tastes better than rabbit, that's for sure." Gon wanted to protest against him but he too had to admit that rabbit was quite bland without proper spices. Soon, with their bellies full and the soft heat of the fire feathering against their skin, sleep tugged at the corner of Gon's mind. He panicked flashing a quick look at Killua, tensing his tired muscles. Should he sleep? He really should. He would be practically useless to each other's survival if he couldn't keep up. But that's assuming he wouldn't kill him in his sleep. Gon glanced over at Killua's face. It was so ridden with sadness and fatigue. He would trust him for the night and fall asleep. Gon closed his eyes and gently lay his head on his companion's shoulder gently drifting off to sleep.

At first Killua didn't notice but as the night crept on his skin was beginning to crawl. The closeness he had always craved came to him and he wasn't sure what to do. It dug into his mind, the feelings the sensation, of being loved enthralled him in a timeless loop that quickly confused him. This wasn't right. He wasn't allowed this simple pleasure.

Illumi… Illumi would get mad at him. His eyes nervously flitted to the sleeping form of Gon. _I should kill him now _he thought. It was the ever briefest of thoughts but it had come, still. In the ever silent night the thought to pour more blood on the white snow came to him. He would never tell, never even breathed the words but secretly, the moment he uttered the word _friend_ Killua felt, and no believed that this being would save his soul. _I'll keep him around… he may be useful._ He lied to himself that night. And, it was the sweetest lie he had ever told. He drifted slowly off to sleep as well. Restless at first, wary of the night but the comforting weight of Gon helped ease his worries. For the first time since the tournament started he had a somewhat peaceful sleep.

"Get up" the voice was nearly a growl when it hit Killua's ears, a silent urgency playing in its undertones. The voice persisted even adding a couple of physical taps on his arm. "Get up now Killua, someone's outside" to that Killua shot upright, his eyes widening in the dark. Gon stood perched in what little light the dying embers of the fire gave off. It was colder now and the white puffs of breath a lot more visible.

"How far away?"

"Fifty feet give or take." Killua swore under his breath and rubbed a hand through his hair. "He probably already knows we're here too." the shelter was broken with a swift kick to the left. Snow flew up into the air as the two boys stared at the man. "Your guess is accurate Killua." His face paled as he looked at the imposing figure before him. He clutched Gon and shoved him away from the attacker. Hiding the green wearing child behind him. He dropped down to a crouch. Preparing to fight if needed. "Illumi. What are you doing here?"

"What did I say about friends?"

"Why are you here?" Killua yelled, rattling the chilly air.

"They make you weak." In a flurry of movement Illumi disappeared from sight and reappeared behind Gon. Gon turned around in time to block an attack aimed at his throat. His eyes watered and he dropped to the ground clutching his forearm. The entire bone was shattered in one hit. "You blocked my attack." Gon cried out a bit as a rebounding wave of pain hit him. Illumi's leg swept up through the snow and Gon reached out and blocked it with his other arm. The blow hit wrong, only bruising the bone this time, saving Gon from another break. "You blocked my attack, twice. Hisoka was right to be interested in you." He picked Gon up from the back of his shirt. And threw him into the snow. He slid across the powder and came to a resting stop in the middle of a clearing in the stand. "Killua, no more games, it's time to come home." He held out his hand and Killua swallowed thickly. "I don't have a lot of time left."

"I'm staying here!"

"Fine, but you will still not get the freedom you desire from us." Illumi turned around and stalked off, his eyes never closing. He disappeared into the night and Killua dropped to his knees and shook. He had been so scarred. He quickly looked at Gon, he had sat up from the small dent in the snow he made. It was obviously painful for him to use either of his arms.

"I'm sorry Killua, I can't do anything now…" his voice trailed off as he looked down at his hands, a sad smile spread across his face. He was probably going to be left out here to die. A Hand wrapped around his arm pits and hoisted him up. "Come on, we're fixing that arm of yours." Gon Nods solemnly. How could he even think that? Killua went to the shattered shelter and pulled out two branches around the same length. He stripped off all three of his coats. He shivered in his hoodie but quickly removed the string from it. He put the coats back on and used the string to tie the branches into a crude brace. "Now for a sling" he mumbled. He wandered off into the copse a bit more before returning with some torn bloody garments from a dead body. "It's all we have right now for a sling but it should work." Gon nodded and the garment was tied. "What about the other arm?"

"Fine, just bruised." Gon's voice had lost its edge of glee. It was harder and bitter. He didn't like losing. Call him sore but he didn't… didn't want to not be of use. He had to do something, anything. "I can't really use it well so both of my arms are gone." Killua gulped and looked at the situation. He really should leave Gon here. He can't waste any resources here helping his injured friend. But at the same time it was his friend, he couldn't just leave him here. "Leave, its fine. I understand, but now you have to keep living for me alright?"

"You're not going to die Gon, it's just an arm." Killua lied, he lied with all his heart trying to force it to be the truth.

"Killua, stop." Tears were flowing freely between them. Sobs from Killua echoing in the night.

"I'll just get some more wood and I'll make another fire and then we can go catch rabbits or something."

"Stop."

"Then we can make snow angels again. Of course yours would only have one wing"

"STOP!" Gon's yell cut through Killua's blubbering, he stopped and gasped in a breath of air. Gon was panting. His face was just as tear stained. It hurt to make this choice, "Just leave…" the words hung in the air between them before Killua sucked in his tears and nodded. It hurt. But for the sake of survival.

He had to leave. He had to leave and it tore him apart.

**Authors note:**

**I really want to get to the part with Hisoka and Gon already… but I can't. **


End file.
